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It came down to an unedifying scene, with Steven Gerrard and his team-mates standing in a cramped tunnel next to the pitch, staring blankly at a television screen in hope of salvation.

But it did not arrive and, as the Liverpool players trudged to the dressing room, it was in the grim knowledge they will be slumming it in the Europa League in February.

Fiorentina’s 1-0 win over Lyons means Liverpool, despite beating Debrecen thanks to David Ngog’s fourth-minute goal, are out of the Champions League, no matter whether they defeat the Italian team at Anfield in a fortnight.